• CCF adopts two-pronged approach to address damages

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is to send a specialist to assist with controlling water damage to the Dambulla cave paintings, The Sunday Morning learns. 

The Central Cultural Fund (CCF) has adopted a two-pronged approach to address this challenge. 

The first involves postponing the damage, employing various techniques to slow down the deterioration process. 

The second aspect focuses on controlling the damage, seeking to limit any potential harm to the valuable works of art.

“It’s a natural phenomenon, so we are controlling it. We can do two things with any kind of monument, painting, or architecture in the world. One is to postpone the damage and the other is to control it, whereby we limit the damage to the artwork as far as possible. There is a specialist from the UNESCO Asia Pacific desk coming this month to help us with this issue,” CCF Director General Prof. Gamini Ranasinghe told The Sunday Morning.

Prof. Ranasinghe noted that the cave paintings at Dambulla were being impacted by water – a natural phenomenon that could not be entirely stopped or avoided.

Water seepage and dripping within the caves have led to the growth of moss, a process that poses a significant threat to the integrity of the precious artworks. However, the solution lies in finding a delicate balance between preserving the cave paintings and safeguarding the surrounding environment.

“Dambulla cave paintings are being damaged due to water. There is no way to stop this or avoid it. Moss is growing; it has already been cultured. If we try to stop the water from dripping, there is a possibility that the water could divert somewhere else and damage some other artwork.” 

Adding to the complexity of preserving the cave paintings is the fact that these ancient artworks were created using organic materials, such as bees’ honey and sugar cane. Such materials are susceptible to natural decay over time, making it all the more essential to carefully manage and control their exposure to external factors.

“All we can do is control and we hope that we have enough human resources to control the damage,” added Prof. Ranasinghe.

Beyond the efforts of conservationists and authorities, Prof. Ranasinghe also highlighted the role of visitors in safeguarding Sri Lanka’s cultural heritage. 

He urged both local and foreign visitors to act responsibly and respect the sanctity of historical sites like Dambulla. He revealed that regrettably, some Sri Lankan visitors had been observed engaging in activities that harm the cave paintings, such as littering or pouring water on the artworks.

“We must also call on the visitors to the caves to control themselves and their behaviour and not put water, garbage, and other things that damage these historical places. Foreign visitors do not do these things. It has been observed that only Sri Lankan visitors behave in this manner.”